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Prayer, fasting, almsgiving
Lent offers spiritual, outreach opportunities

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
(Email Katie)

When this time of the liturgical year comes around, many think of Stations of the Cross and fish fries. Parishes throughout the Diocese of Sioux City offer these events and much more during the Lenten season.

Reflect on spiritual life
On Tuesday nights St. Joseph Parish in Milford holds a 5 p.m. Mass followed by a soup supper for parishioners. Different parishioners volunteer to make the soups and there are usually two or three to choose from each Tuesday.

According to Father Tom Flanagan, parochial vicar at St. Joseph Parish, about 150 parishioners attend the soup suppers.

A Scripture sharing group meets on Thursday mornings after the 7:30 a.m. Mass to reflect on the readings for the coming Sunday. This group meets year round.

“During the Lenten season, people are more open to doing something extra to reflect on their spiritual life and their relationship with God,” said Father Flanagan. “I think it is important that we offer those extra things that they might be able to take part in. I like to work from where they are rather than coming up with lots of ideas about what they can do. I think we have some things going that the people themselves are enjoying very much and find it helpful.”

Catechism and coffee is held on Saturdays at 10 a.m. during Lent. This began the first Saturday of Lent with parishioners brainstorming what questions they would like to talk about.

“It is an informal sharing about different aspects of our Catholic faith,” said Father Flanagan. “I made a list of the questions and we are going through them one by one. That is turning out to be a really fun time. Those who are there seem to be enjoying as an informal way to talk about our faith.”

Stations of the Cross and reconciliation are offered on Fridays. Communal penance services and an anointing Mass are also held.

Call to change
Lenten Tuesdays at Sacred Heart Parish in Boone bring parishioners together for Mass at 5:15 p.m. followed by a soup and bread supper in the parish hall. As the parishioners are finishing their meal a presentation is given.

Sister Rose Hacker, pastoral minister and director of liturgy at the parish, said that this year various sacraments will be chosen each week. Throughout Lent the sacraments of baptism, reconciliation, anointing of the sick and holy orders will be discussed. As a side bar, consecrated life, which is not a sacrament, will be talked about.

“We thought about the sacraments that people have questions about, how we can help them understand them better and how God is working in those sacraments in our lives,” she said. “Lent is traditionally a time when people will do extra. It is neat to provide them with those things that would touch their lives and help them deepen their relationship with God.”

Small faith sharing groups gather during Lent to read and discuss the readings for the Sundays of Lent. The participants also answer questions about the readings.

“Lent is a time of stepping back and giving time for reflection on how God is calling us this moment. What are those things keeping me from doing this? How can I prepare?” asked Sister Rose. “Offering the faith sharing will hopefully help people think more deeply about what the readings are calling me to do. How are they calling me to change my life?”

A service project that the parish has been involved in for a few years is called Project Mississippi that helps a clinic in Mississippi where a sister from Sister Rose’s community works as a nurse practitioner.

The clinic provides care for those with no insurance. The parishioners of the parish have collected school supplies, books and other items for the clinic in the past. This year Sacred Heart is collecting money to help pay for a record-keeping software the clinic is planning to purchase.

“We are trying to do some outreach in addition to Operation Rice Bowl,” said Sister Rose. “We contact them and find out what they need rather than just sending a bunch of stuff down there. We are developing a relationship.”

Prayer and service
At Immaculate Conception in Cherokee, parishioners are participating in a project called Soles4Souls.

According to Sister Janice Hoffman, director of music/liturgy, Hispanic ministry and RCIA at Immaculate Conception, the project benefits many people including those without shoes and those who need to clean their closets.

“There are over 300 million children around the world without shoes, and shoes are distributed to people in need in over 125 countries on five continents,” she said. “People with a disability at Village Northwest Unlimited in Sheldon benefit because processing the shoes provides them with work opportunities. From Sheldon the shoes are sent to The World Headquarters in Nashville, Tenn.”

The parishioners, she said, have been very generous in giving their own shoes. By mid-Lent over 1,000 pairs of shoes were collected. The collection will continue until the Wednesday before Palm Sunday.

“It seemed like such an easy way to help people in need that I wanted to initiate it immediately,” said Sister Janice. “It is also a response to one of the traditional actions for Lent which are prayer, fasting and almsgiving.”

Another activity provided to parishioners is a “Carbon Fast Calendar” that suggests daily actions during Lent that will reduce their production of climate change pollution and help to preserve God’s great gift of creation, noted Sister Janice.

Parishioners are also invited to participate in the Sermons a la Carte which is an ecumenical prayer service and sermon given by area ministers followed by a lunch each Wednesday of Lent. Father Armand Bertrand gave the sermon on March 10.

“I believe that it is important to provide prayer and service opportunities during the Lenten season, because Lent is a time to support the elect and to prepare to renew our own baptismal life,” said Sister Janice. “We come face to face with crucifixion and resurrection and what it means to die to our old selves and let Christ live in us.”

Stations of the Cross and benediction or adoration are prayed each Thursday alternating 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. A Communal Penance Service will be held on March 21. The Knights of Columbus are offering Fish Fries on Feb. 19, Mar. 12 and Mar. 26.

Whole community involvement
St. Joseph Parish in Jefferson has three faith sharing groups that meet throughout the year. They use a program called Sunday by Sunday from Good Ground Press.

This program works with the lectionary readings for the week, noted Sheilah Pound, adult faith formation coordinator at the parish. There is a narrative and discussion questions for people to talk about. The Lenten readings are the current focus.

“If you can work in small groups and build community within those small groups, what you are hoping to do eventually is from one small group start another small group and go from there so that eventually the whole parish community will come together as a stronger parish,” said Pound.

Mass times at the parish are changing during the week during Lent so more people have the opportunity to attend Mass. Stations of the Cross will also be offered. St. Brigid Parish in Grand Junction is also holding Stations of the Cross.